Finding Premium fare deals: ORD-LHR return
Feb 14, 2018, 4:51 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: BA Exec club Bronze
Posts: 16
Finding Premium fare deals: ORD-LHR return
Hi,
Longtime lurker on the forum, I note with some interest the premium fare deals many find. My regular flight back to see relatives is ORD-LHR, typically during the summer months and also around the tail end of December. Does anyone have any tips on how to score the best deals in J or above? I am flexible on stopovers and have done the above routing via DUB on EI but I wonder if there are any "hidden" deals out there and how to find them. Google Flights? ITA Matrix? Hope to learn a bit more and perhaps go via a new routing like OSL or AMS.
Longtime lurker on the forum, I note with some interest the premium fare deals many find. My regular flight back to see relatives is ORD-LHR, typically during the summer months and also around the tail end of December. Does anyone have any tips on how to score the best deals in J or above? I am flexible on stopovers and have done the above routing via DUB on EI but I wonder if there are any "hidden" deals out there and how to find them. Google Flights? ITA Matrix? Hope to learn a bit more and perhaps go via a new routing like OSL or AMS.
Feb 14, 2018, 5:00 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: London / Brighton
Programs: BAEC Gold / M-Life Gold / HH Diamond
Posts: 1,634
Hi Wyatt82, take a look at Premium Fare Deals | 2018 edition also use the Matrix / Google Flights to look at starting in ABZ or PRG (which seem to be giving good prices ATM).
Feb 14, 2018, 5:06 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: LHR, LGW
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,427
If starting in ORD, this maybe a little tricky to find, versus starting in the UK or EU, as I recall many USA posters still awaiting a decent ex-USA sale!
But the thread posted above is a good start. You can also track fares (with notifications) on Google flights and you will be alerted when fares on the route saved increase or decrease.
But the thread posted above is a good start. You can also track fares (with notifications) on Google flights and you will be alerted when fares on the route saved increase or decrease.
Feb 14, 2018, 6:34 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: BA Exec club Bronze
Posts: 16
Feb 14, 2018, 6:58 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Berlin
Programs: BA Gold; Accor Plat; IHG Diamond-Amb; Meliá & HH & Marriott Gold
Posts: 5,450
If your schedule allows you to plan and book well in advance, you may be able to nest trips and/or position once to Europe (using Avios) and then book returns to ORD, starting in places like ARN, OSL, CPH, DUB... (We're currently based in the US and have visited all of the above cities, and some others, these past few years, saving money and/or earningTPs.)
Feb 14, 2018, 7:04 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: London / Brighton
Programs: BAEC Gold / M-Life Gold / HH Diamond
Posts: 1,634
Feb 14, 2018, 10:08 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: LA, after growing up in London and living all over Europe
Programs: Ex-BD, ex-NW, ex-AA, BA Gold
Posts: 1,457
There's not a lot of great options, but if you can make your own way to the east coast, then JFK-DUB is around $2300 on AA in August, rather than $3300 for ORD-LHR on BA.
Feb 14, 2018, 10:12 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: Seigneur des Tarifs Utils First Class Mucci with Honours :) - BA GGL / CCR
Posts: 1,551
Guy said it was going to save him a fortune and the miles earned doing the return from EU / UK is enough to pay for the next mileage flight
Feb 14, 2018, 11:03 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA PP 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Gold
Posts: 6,322
Would you consider MAD? I'm booked NYC-MAD in June in F for ~$US3600rtn. Similar price from MIA. Dates wide open. It's not as good as deals in the other direction, but it's a decent option for guaranteed F and tier points ex-USA.
ORD-MAD is $4400. If you can position to MIA/NYC separately, that's an option too. Check google flights. https://goo.gl/flights/kYMCd
ORD-MAD is $4400. If you can position to MIA/NYC separately, that's an option too. Check google flights. https://goo.gl/flights/kYMCd
Feb 14, 2018, 11:24 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Berlin
Programs: BA Gold; Accor Plat; IHG Diamond-Amb; Meliá & HH & Marriott Gold
Posts: 5,450
That is too sweeping, although it's true that attractively priced TATL fares originating in the US are far less frequent than in the other direction. That said, OP might want to look at the following:
The "Premium Fare Deals" forum
(e.g. Ba/aa/ib was-ath ~$2150 j)
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/prem...vacations.html
and
IB nonstop JFK-MAD $810 in PE (bearing in mind that a cheap WT+ fare plus J award availability plus Avios can be a good option).
The "Premium Fare Deals" forum
(e.g. Ba/aa/ib was-ath ~$2150 j)
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/prem...vacations.html
and
IB nonstop JFK-MAD $810 in PE (bearing in mind that a cheap WT+ fare plus J award availability plus Avios can be a good option).
Feb 14, 2018, 11:37 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 122
Could you fly from Inverness?
I think it may be slightly cheaper if you route INV-MAN-ORD but not by much, BA will sell you that ticket but there's no BA metal as it's a Loganair flight INV-MAN and AA MAN-ORD. It's a wee bit out of the way if you're not in Scotland but Inverness is nice in the summer, honest!
I think it may be slightly cheaper if you route INV-MAN-ORD but not by much, BA will sell you that ticket but there's no BA metal as it's a Loganair flight INV-MAN and AA MAN-ORD. It's a wee bit out of the way if you're not in Scotland but Inverness is nice in the summer, honest!
Feb 14, 2018, 12:40 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA PP 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Gold
Posts: 6,322
